Then, what if disguising as a mage from the imperial family?

Not bad. Still a complete stranger, but we could extract information like an interrogation.

However, because there was a better option below, we didn’t need to use that plan.

‘Transform into an Eszett team member.’

Rather than dealing with a complete stranger from the imperial mages, it would be much more natural and easier to get more answers when facing her child’s friends. And if transforming into Eszett, it’s better to lend the face of the deputy leader, which is me.

While admiring Heike’s pink eyes, I said to Richthofen.

“But, right now, Heike and I look exactly the same, yet you recognize us well.”

I even deliberately sprayed perfume on Heike.

Richthofen stared at me blankly, then pointed to my earlobe and tapped his own nose tip. It seemed he meant he sensed the artifact’s mana.

When my expression became subtle, Richthofen immediately said.

“It’s fine. Normally, there’s no way to tell. Alright, so. Where should we go?”

“The northern part of the capital. We’ll go to the faculty dormitory of the only magic school there.”

“Ah, there. What are you going there for? It’s quite a prestigious, so security is tight.”

To that question, this time Heike answered instead of me.

“To meet Mother. At this time, she should be at the lake in front of there.”

“…….”

Richthofen tilted his head and inhaled. Then, he lifted the robe to check my thin casual clothes.

“Somehow, I get the feeling we shouldn’t go looking this shabby.”

There won’t be a need for Richthofen to appear before Heike’s mother, but still, he apparently couldn’t go as if he’d just woken up.

Richthofen went back to his room to change clothes and came out. Then, as soon as he saw me, he said.

“So that’s why Junior Ainsidel was wearing Askanian’s face now.”

He seemed to know that Heike was adopted into the direct line.

“Then, what will Junior Askanian transform into? Doesn’t seem like you’ll send her alone.”

“I’ll borrow Senior’s face a bit.”

“Ah, me?”

I casually pulled out the necklace from inside my clothes and pretended to activate the artifact while invoking divine power.

Richthofen’s hair was black too, so from my view, I didn’t feel much change, but apparently my face had indeed transformed into his. A hint of laughter appeared on Richthofen’s face.

“Um… Ahem. Yes. It suits you well.”

“It’s unexpected that you’d lend it so readily. Thank you.”

Richthofen nodded and spun his wand around his finger once to turn it into a staff. He grabbed our hands and warped to somewhere in Berlin.

We were in the brightly lit dormitory, now outside in the pitch black.

The wind shifted direction brushed my cheek. It was an unfamiliar park. Beyond the bushes, a large lake receiving moonlight was visible.

Richthofen struck his staff on the ground. It seemed space magic was laid again, as the subtle ambient life noises around us cleared away in an instant.

“Now, people walking this path are now on the space magic. I sense about… six people. They all seem to be on walks.”

As expected of a skilled mage. Unlike usual, since a more precise magic was needed this time, Richthofen spread the mana so thinly that one wouldn’t even know space magic was laid.

“Now, I have another request for Senior.”

“Just speak casually. It’s quite burdensome to hear such words from you.”

Richthofen said playfully with a languid smile.

I almost hit his mouth, but after confirming Heike hadn’t noticed anything, I calmly said.

“Could you check if there’s someone emitting mana similar to Heike’s? Time-wise, she should be here, but if not here, we might need to look elsewhere.”

“Ah, sure. Dogs are best at finding this kind of stuff.”

Another what? I glared at him coldly, but he ignored it and raised his finger in the air. The mana sensed from his core gradually dwindled. Instead, he brought his fingertip close to his nose and looked around.

“It’s at that end.”

Richthofen pointed with his staff to the opposite side of the lake.

‘Hm.’

Good. We’re almost there.

We walked in the direction Richthofen pointed.

Richthofen would wait at the opposite side of the lake, where we first arrived.

To reach this situation, what we had to consider was this.

Exactly what scenario to fabricate to draw out a conversation from Heike’s mother.

We decided to use the security clearance procedure that the leader and deputy leader of the imperial mages’ organization conduct on members, applied to this situation.

At least, to buy time to resolve what Heike was curious about—whether Mom also couldn’t properly feel emotions like her, and what Mom thought of her—.

The security clearance procedure, simply put, was a reference check for government/royal use. What differed from a general reference check was that in this case, they thoroughly shook out all personal history from the moment of birth to now.

Then, now it was time to think why I had to visit her at this late hour.

‘I’d prefer to come during the day if possible.’

What is this at nearly midnight? It’s a nuisance to the other party, but I also have a tight schedule since I need to meet the Freiburg Archbishop soon.

But we couldn’t postpone to daytime. We mustn’t.

First, if visiting during the day at the boarding school where her mother works as a teacher, that becomes an official schedule for the Eszett deputy leader.

‘The deputy leader of the organization that “Heike Ainsidel” belongs to visited Heike’s mother at her workplace,’ this could adversely affect the contract between Heike’s mother and uncle. It would create excessive burden on Heike’s mother, and the same for Eszett.

Then, couldn’t we send a letter to arrange a personal meeting.

Here too, the problem was that evidence remains. Of course, we could accept that much and prepare more leisurely, right?

‘I can’t.’

I mean, the suggestion ends at noon tomorrow….

Whenever it is, if I’m going to help fulfill Heike’s wish, might as well do it quickly without dawdling so I can check if the suggestion is achieved.

After walking about 15 minutes, Heike stopped abruptly. With her mouth slightly open, she stared straight ahead without expression.

Others might wonder why she’s standing there so scarily, but I couldn’t not know why.

“…….”

I turned my head.

Another Heike was walking from the opposite side. Due to the shadows from the streetlamp light, the facial features weren’t clearly visible, but the other was about Heike’s height, a mage with dark blond hair like Heike’s.

I approached the other party closer instead of Heike, who was frozen like a statue, and raised my voice.

“Nice to meet you. You’re Teacher Helene Ainsidel, right?”

From afar, the mage walking under the streetlamp stopped at the sound of someone calling her.

I quickly walked up and stood before her.

Helene Ainsidel.

Heike’s mother. She looked like she was in her late twenties, but, being a new human, her actual age was probably in her forties.

She resembled Heike not only in hair color but even in facial features. Except that, unlike Heike who roams around with bedhead just wetted with water without any wax or anything, her hair was neatly arranged without a single strand out of place.

Also, her attire was much neater than Heike’s, who usually dresses casually on Elias’s level.

“…Askanian?”

Helene Ainsidel narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

It wasn’t said to me. It was said to Heike behind me.

Heike snapped back to her senses and looked at Helene Ainsidel.

“…….”

Heike’s eyes trembled.

She had last seen her mother at five years old and after that only in photos; now she was facing her directly. I couldn’t even predict what she wanted to say right now.

Helene Ainsidel found that silence strange and looked back and forth between me and her. Her hand moved toward the wand at her right waist.

In the tense vigilant posture where tension flowed, Heike slowly raised her hand and looked at her palm.

It wasn’t hard to guess what she was trying to do. She was trying to confirm who she was.

After staring at my hand, which hadn’t yet developed as many calluses as her own, Heike slowly blinked. Her gaze fixed on Helene Ainsidel through me.

With a soulless face, Heike walked slowly and stood beside me. Her heartbeat seemed audible even to me.

‘…As expected, but….’

She seemed quite shocked.

Even I would react the same if standing before someone I couldn’t see for life. Moreover, since seeing her mother even once was Heike’s wish, it’s natural.

Still, even if I could lead the conversation instead, it would be a bit troublesome if she stayed silent like this. Not troublesome for me, but she’d miss the opportunity.

However, that worry was unfounded. I seemed to have forgotten that she’s strong in real situations.

Heike smiled softly as I usually did, and casually greeted using my name as if nothing was wrong.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Eszett Deputy Leader Lucas Askanian.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep